Latest newsletter from the Human Development Institute.
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A Word from the Executive Director
Hello!
As we continue the stoic trek through the winter months, staff and students at the Human Development Institute have been hard at work across 50 externally funded projects. In this edition of our newsletter, you’ll find the update on our work from the last year in our 2018 Annual Report. This provides a snapshot of some of the highlights of HDI activities.
We are also excited to begin sharing and spotlighting HDI’s 50th anniversary at the University of Kentucky. All year long, we will be sharing stories, interviews and remembrances that weave together the fabric of our unique organization. It starts with sharing a series of posters during Black History Month that celebrate the intersectionality of race and disability. And we have a snazzy updated logo!
While it’s important to see where we have been, we also have stories that reflect where we are going. Our Spring Seminar series has some great offerings, starting in February. We will also be hosting a Spring Institute in Assistive Technology in March, aimed at students, faculty and community.
Enjoy the newsletter. As always, stay in touch!
Kathy Sheppard-Jones
HDI 50th Anniversary
As a part of HDI’s 50th celebration, we are profiling individuals who have offered vital contributions over the years toward accomplishing HDI’s mission of inclusion and independence for people with disabilities and their families. We are profiling the self-advocates who have educated, informed, and pushed us to going further. We are profiling family members who were willing to share their experiences and journey. We are profiling students who went through our training programs who enriched our training program while they were at HDI and have gone on to do great things. We are profiling practitioners who have trained people working in the communities to serve all of us and helped implemented inclusive programs and policies. We are profiling researchers who have helped translate research to practice and vice versa. We are profiling partners who have shared their resources and space because they believed in our mission. Scores of people have helped and continue to help HDI realize its mission.
HDI 2018 Annual Report
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
I hope you enjoy learning about some of the incredible work being done at the Human Development Institute as you read our Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2018. HDI proudly serves as Kentucky’s Center on Disability at the University of Kentucky. 2018 was a year of exciting growth and statewide and national leadership at our Institute. This annual report highlights some of the accomplishments at HDI throughout the year; vital work to promote employment, health and wellness, independence, and postsecondary opportunities; a snapshot of our funding allocations at HDI; and spotlights on staff, students, and those we serve.
I hope you enjoy seeing a sample of our most recent work over the past year. We are looking forward to even more progress in 2019 as new grants and initiatives take root. As always, thank you for your support and for your partnership in helping to build brighter tomorrows and a more inclusive world.
Most sincerely,
Dr. Kathy Sheppard-Jones
Spring Seminar: Universal Design for Learning—Designing Classrooms for All Learners
“Universal Design for Learning (UDL) suggests that it’s not the students who need to adapt to fit the system, but rather that the system should be designed so that it can be made to fit each student’s learning needs. UDL presents an evidence-based framework that teachers can use to meet the needs of the variety of learners in their classroom.” – Jennifer Pusateri
Join us in person or online for our Spring Seminar series on Friday, February 22, 2019 from 1:00 – 3:00pm ET to learn more about “Universal Design for Learning: Designing Classrooms for All Learners.”
Join Us for the Still We Rise Banquet on February 21
Join us in celebrating the resiliency of UK students at the Still We Rise banquet! This fully catered free banquet will honor student triumphs.
Event: Still We Rise Banquet
Date and Time: Feb 21, 5:00pm-7:00pm
Location: Gatton Center Student Ballroom
Dress: Cocktail Attire
Tickets: Tickets for students, staff, and faculty are available on a first-come first-serve basis. To secure an event ticket, visit the student involvement box office in the Bill Gatton Student Center or sign up with this link: https://ukytickets.universitytickets.com/w/
Tickets are free and can be picked up at the box office in the student center, or at the door at the event. Alternatively, to download a ticket ahead of time, there is a $3 processing fee.
Spring Seminar: Employment for Youth with Disabilities: Seeing a Brighter Future
“As an employer, I’ve been fortunate to have employees with intellectual disabilities who meaningfully contribute to our programs, and as a mother, I have been so proud of my own son with Down syndrome as he has worked in the community at a grocery store and is also working toward a career as a photographer, and I don’t think these are isolated cases of what success can look like. People with intellectual disabilities have much to offer when given the opportunity!” – Stephanie Meredith
Join us in person or online for our Spring Seminar on Thursday, March 21, 2019 from 6:30 – 8:30pm ET to learn more about “Employment for Youth with Disabilities: Seeing a Brighter Future.”
KentuckyWorks holds Community Conversation in Louisville
Self-advocates, families, and professionals gathered for a community conversation to discuss employment opportunities for individuals with significant disabilities on Monday, December 4th at Down Syndrome of Louisville. The event was facilitated by KentuckyWorks and had three co-sponsors—Down Syndrome of Louisville, the Kentucky Autism Training Center, and the Center for Accessible Living—the most co-sponsorship of any community conversation thus far.
Please consider making a donation today to support the good work at HDI as we support families and professionals every day!
“874K Coalition Advocacy Day" on March 6, 2019
The 2019 Advocacy Event will be held on Wednesday, March 6 in Frankfort. The morning is available in the Capitol Annex for advocacy training, visits with legislators, attending committee meetings and eating a boxed lunch. From 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m., we will rally in the Capitol Rotunda. We have invited the Governor and all legislators to rally with us. We anticipate that more than 700 individuals with disabilities, their families, caregivers, concerned citizens, advocates and providers will come to Frankfort to participate in the coalition’s advocacy event.
The 4th Thursday ADA Talks and Spring Institute in Assistive Technology
Mark your calendars for the next ADA Talk and Spring Institute on Assistive Technology:
2019 Spring Institute in Assistive Technology
March 28, 2019 from 8:30am - 4:30pm at the Gatton Student Center, University of Kentucky
Sessions, user panel, and hands on demonstrations of a variety of AT devices.
Lunch will be provided
CRCC CEUs available
FREE for students, researchers, faculty, staff and community members
Supported Training Experiences Post-Secondary (STEPS) Helps Students with Disabilities Thrive in College
The Supported Training Experiences Post-Secondary (STEPS) case study project provides leadership skill-building opportunities for college freshmen with disabilities who participated in the HDI Summer Leadership Experience (SLE) camp. HDI’s Teresa Belluscio leads the project. Teresa is a disability advocate with over twenty years’ experience serving underrepresented groups.
